The invention relates to filter housings, and more particularly to twist and lock filter housings, including plastic air cleaners.
Twist and lock filter housings are known in the prior art, including twist and lock plastic air cleaner housings. Such housings typically use nuts and bolts, overcenter latches, hinges, sliding lock components for anti-rotation, or a combination of these, to fasten the cover to the base.
The present invention provides a simple, cost effective system for locking the cover to the base in a twist and lock filter housing arrangement. In a desirable aspect, the invention enables a reduced number of components, and offers a cost advantage as well as simplicity over prior twist and lock systems using separate locking mechanisms.
In a further aspect, the invention provides in combination twist and lock structure providing an axial retention force and releasable anti-rotation lock structure providing a rotational retention force releasably holding the twist and lock structure in locked axially assembled condition. In one particularly desirable aspect, the invention enables both of such structures to be integral with their respective base or cover of a plastic air cleaner housing. This eliminates the expense of additional fasteners or components otherwise required to be attached to the base and/or cover.
In a further aspect, the invention provides anti-rotation lock structure having an arm stationarily mounted to the respective housing section and flexibly bendable about a bend line extending parallel to the housing axis.